Just quit.

No one talks about it, but most people in every workplace want to quit their job more frequently than they would care to admit.

We all act like we love our jobs, and some of us truly do, but even those who love their job have tough moments where quitting seems like a very attractive alternative to continuing on. In some cases, the difference between someone who only "survives" a short duration at a company and the person who thrives in a company, achieving multiple promotions and rising through the ranks, is the fact that the second person didn't just quit when they wanted to. ?

Clearly there are times when it is right to move on, or you may simply recognize that the fit isn't for you. But I would bet that most people who quit experience that the problems that made them quit in the first place come up again in the next place that they move on to. And furthermore, I would go as far as to say that they could have not only survived the place they quit, they may have even been able to thrive there. Why? Because I have experienced that myself several times. ?

At the first company I worked for everyone in my life (including myself) gave me reasons to quit on a regular basis. The job was tough, the expectations were demanding, and quitting was the norm. In fact, at the time the average person who was hired had a 50/50 chance of making it out of training, and those who did make it out of training usually only stayed for a month or two. I stayed for 5 years. Sometimes that felt like a really poor decision. Now looking back more than 10 years later, I can recognize that the growth I experienced during that time in my life was a game-changer that propelled my career in ways I could never have imagined then. ?

Funny enough, back then the reason I didn't just quit was honestly because I didn't think "I could". I felt like I didn't know how to get another job, so I stayed. By staying I won awards, got promotions, was invited to exclusive trainings, was asked to speak on stage about my success and share my secrets with others looking to do the same. But the biggest secret to success was just sticking around, reframing my mindset, and ultimately finding a new way to process the urge to quit. ?

Over time I developed a new way to approach the feeling of wanting to quit and created a process for myself to pull me out of that energy and turn around my situation which I have used time and time again.

Try this before you quit: ?

1. Write a gratitude journal?

• Sometimes when we want to quit it is because we are in a mindset of lack and scarcity. We focus on everything that is wrong and turn a blind eye to everything that is right. ?
• Start by writing a daily gratitude journal with the prompt "I am grateful for my job because..."?
• This sucks at first. You're like, “I don't. I don't love my job. And I hate this activity too!” But don't just quit. ?
• As you build this muscle every day, you'll realize there are a lot of positive qualities about your job, which is likely why you took the opportunity in the first place.

2. Look for patterns ?

• Do you hate your boss? Did you hate your last boss? Have you always hated your bosses? ?
• Maybe it's not them, maybe it's you. ?
• I know that is really tough to swallow but try to consider if the story you are telling yourself is really true. Sometimes we bring problems with us and blame the environment we are in rather than recognizing there is something there for us to learn. ?

3. Set a date ?

• This has been the most powerful tool for me. ?
• Choose a date at least 30 days out that will be the day that you quit. ?
• Then commit to take full responsibility for your actions, thoughts and perspective during that time. Do your gratitude journal daily. Focus on being excellent at your job. Ask for help. Build relationships. ?
• The act of setting a date helps put your mind at ease. Knowing that relief is coming, and you just need to put forth this effort for 30-90 days makes it feel doable. ?
• What I have found is that when I focus on myself, my actions and my mindset, then my relationship with my role, my coworkers, and the company start to morph and evolve. ?
• Most of the time when the date to quit comes, I haven't wanted to quit anymore, because the changes I made within myself changed everything else. Perhaps the same would be true for you. And if at the end of that time, when you can truly say you focused on the right actions, if you still want to quit - you can!
• Thats the beauty of it, and at least then you know that you've made the decision from a fully aligned place.

The grass at the other company might look greener, but maybe it is turf.

The grass at the other company might look greener, becuase they require their employees to water it A LOT.

Maybe your grass would be green if you watered it too.

Maybe not, but why not at least try??